History of Romance
by LivElRocks a lot
Summary: When Kathy is killed for Elliot's mistakes, he and his children move to the south, where he meets a group of colonists dedicated to help free America. Along with a beautiful women who knows more about his past then she's letting on. Takes place in 1776
1. Chapter 1

I own no one but my own people. And since like half of these people in here are real people, I obviously don't own them either.

A/N Okay everyone, this is a little wield, but this story takes place in 1776 in South Carolina.

New York, 1776, March 26th

"Stop! please have mercy!" Kathy Stabler begged the British soldiers who was leading her husband Elliot to the gallows.

"He has committed tyranny against the king, the sentence is death, now go back to your children women."

"No! Thou has never spoken ill against his majesty! I can swear to the lord our god on that!" she cried out in tears.

"Kathy, do not make this harder then it already is, please go home and explain to my children that I am to be sent to heaven because speaking my opinion is a crime worthy of death in this country" he said angrily.

"no, I will not. Elliot please! Tell them you said no such things, please!" she cried out frantically.

"People have heard him talking about acts of rebelling against the king."

"Who are you to believe?" Kathy yelled frantically "his own wife or the people in this colony who couldn't give a damn if he hangs?"

"He must pay for his treason" the soldier said pushing him underneath the tree.

"No! I did it, I'm the one who spoke against his majesty, I'm the one who spoke of treason. Hang me and let him go" she yelled desperately

"Don't be a fool Kathy, go home, thyne eyes doth not need to have the image of me hanging in a tree for my beliefs" Elliot said holding his head up in dignity whale one of the soldiers put the noose around his neck.

"No, I'm not going to let you die for my treasons. I did it, I'm the guilty one. Hang me, let my soul be forever condemned in damnation for speaking out against the king of England."

"Kathy for the love of god pleas be qui-"

"shut up or we hang the both of you" the soldier said smacking him in the back of the head. The two soldiers looked at Kathy's pleading, tear filled eyes then turned back at Elliot's fear filled ones then they're serious faces broke into a sly smile.

"You swear on the lives of your children, that this man here, is innocent of treason, and you are the one who spoke ill against the king?" Kathy struggled to hold back tears and then nodded.

"Yes, I spoke against him, let my love go free, he hath never spoken ill against him."

"Kathy no! I'm not going to let you do this!" Elliot yelled out fearfully.

"Shut up. Well Mr Stabler, it seems your wife is taking your place at the gallows. Tie the noose around her neck" the soldier ordered. The other soldier went over to Kathy and quickly tied her hands and then pushed her forward, whale the other one took the noose around Elliot's neck and shoved him to the ground.

"No!" he yelled out trying to run forward to get to her, but one of the soldiers held him back. The soldier pushed Kathy under the tree and slipped the noose around her neck whale tears fell down her face, her eyes never leaving Elliot's.

"Kathy Stabler, you have confessed to tyranny against his majesty King George, the sentence is death. Do you deny these charges?"

"No" she said, surprising at how strong her voice was.

"Kathy no! I love you, take your words back!" Elliot yelled letting tears fall down his face as he continued to try to get to her, but the soldier continued to hold him back.

"Do you have any last words?" She was silent for a few moments before she took a deep breath.

"Yes. Elliot, I love you more then anything in this world and the next. Never forget me nor the moments we shared. Please tell the children I loved them, and tell them not to be sad, but to rejoice there mother is in the land of paradise."

"Kathy, no" Elliot sobbed shaking his head. Kathy took a deep breath then held head up in dignity as the soldier went behind her and grabbed hold of the rope.

"The time of liberty is at hand! Soon men, women, and children will be able to speak thy minds about the government! We will live in a democracy that will treat all men as equals and they will be treated with fairness! Long live democracy, long live America!" she yell out before the soldier pulled as hard as he could on the rope.

"Nooooo!" Elliot screamed trying to get to her, but the soldier continued to hold him back. He could only watch helplessly as his wife, the women who had bore him four children, the women he had loved since his school days, swung gently in the wind, her wide blue eyes staring straight into his, her face tear stained. After about a minute, the soldier tied up the rope to the tree and looked up at her.

"Stupid women" he said with a small chuckle before he motioned to the other guard to let Elliot go. Elliot ran to her but before he could untie her, he heard a sword being drawn.

"Get away from her! she must stay there to remind everyone what happens if you speak against the king" the soldier who had pulled he rope told him. Elliot turned to him and glared at him angrily.

"One day" Elliot said with a shaky voice. "One day I am going to kill you, I will avenge my wifes wrongful death." The soldier just walked up to him and held his sword to his throat.

"Try to kill me will you?" he growled angrily. Elliot just glared at him then nodded

"Yes, now tell me your name so when I stick my sword into you, I can pray that you go to hell." The soldier chuckled then pulled back his sword and stuck it back in his belt.

"Thomas Page, and when we meet again Stabler, it will be I who will be sticking my sword into you" and he walked away along with the other soldier. Elliot glared after them then turned back to Kathy and he felt fresh tears come to his eyes.

"My love I will never betray you. I swear on my blood that I will not betray you. I shall remain celebrate until we can lie together in the lords paradise." He wiped away his tears then went over and to the rope and untied her and lowered her gently. He gently moved the hair out of her face and then softly kissed her on her lips.

"I will never forget you my love" he whispered, letting tears fall. He mopped his face with his sleeve then gently picked her up and began carrying her to there church, not even bothering with the tears falling down his face, his mind thinking of only one thing.

"I have to get out of here."

Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

I own no one but my own people. And since like half of these people in here are real people, I obviously don't own them either. Contains mild racism.

Thanks to my beta Jo. You rock out loud!! And I'm glad your moms doing okay :)

South Carolina, July 9th, 1776

Elliot struggled to keep his eyes open as he continued to lead the horses on the dirt road through the forest.

He and his children had been traveling since a week after Kathy was hung, trying to get the as far as they could from New York, which happened to be in Georgia.

"Father" his youngest, Elizabeth, complained, "we haven't stopped to eat in three days. When will we be able to rest?"

"Soon, Elizabeth, we need to find an inn first," Elliot said tiredly.

"Why don't I tend to the wagon and you go on ahead and look for an inn?" his son Dickie asked.

"No, you're too young to handle the wagon."

"I'm fifteen years old! I'm old enough to handle a wagon! I'm not a child!"

"I said no, Dickie. It's dark, we're on some woods trail, and we're in an unfamiliar colony."

"Mother would have let me," he grumbled.

"Well I'm not your mother," Elliot replied a little angrily turning back to face him.

"Look out!" Elizabeth screamed, pointing out the front. Elliot quickly turned around and saw a man standing there, scared stiff. Elliot pulled hard on the reigns and he didn't see if the man jumped out of the way in time or not.

"What was that?" Maureen, his eldest, said, sounding a little frightened.

"I'm not sure. Dickie, watch the wagon," Elliot said picking up his musket from the front seat and opening the door.

"Can't I come?"

"Stay here, don't make me say it again," Elliot told him sternly, getting down off the wagon and patting the nearest horse reassuringly.

He looked around for a few seconds, and then he saw some of the bushes rattle. He quickly aimed the musket where they rattled.

"Come out here now! Show yourself!" he yelled angrily.

"Don't shoot, I'll go back quietly," a voice said sounding a little frightened.

"Come out now!" Elliot yelled again.

A man slowly rose from the bushes and Elliot lowered his gun a little. He had on a ripped ragged shirt, a pair of threadbare pants, and no shoes. His hair was pulled back in a nappy ponytail. He was also black.

"Please, sir, I'll go back quietly, just don't shoot," the man said fearfully.

"I'm not a slave hunter, lower your hands. I'm not going to hurt you," Elliot said lowering the gun all the way.

"Thank you, sir," the man said lowering his hands. Elliot nodded.

"Where have you escaped from?" Elliot asked, already knowing why the man was so worried.

"A cotton plantation in Georgia. I've been traveling for a week trying to get to the North." Eliot just chuckled

"Funny, I just came from New York and I'm trying to get to Georgia." At the sound of New York, Fin's face lit up.

"New York, that's where my destination lies. Why did you leave?" Elliot just stayed silent and looked down.

"Personal reasons," he replied sadly. The man nodded then Elliot forced himself not to let a tear escape in front of him.

"I'm Elliot Stabler by the way," Elliot said sticking out his hand.

"My names Odafin Tutuola, I go by Fin for short," Fin said looking at his hand and shaking it timidly.

"And what is your slave name?"

"Richard, but I do not respond to or go by that name." Elliot nodded in agreement.

"I wouldn't go by another name either." Elliot and Fin smiled at each other for a brief moment before they both heard loud barking and yelling.

"Come on boys, that nigger's got to be around here somewhere!" they heard a man yell loudly.

Fin's eyes widened and then turned back to Elliot. "I must go, good bye," he said hurriedly.

"Wait!" Elliot said placing a hand out to stop him.

"You cannot outrun them, they're too close."

"So what do I do?"

"Just follow my lead, you must trust me though," Elliot said just before a large group of men with torches and barking hound dogs ran out of the woods.

"You there! Slave boy," one of the men shouted going up to Fin.

"May I help you?" Elliot asked, trying to sound angry.

"That negro is an escaped slave from a very large plantation in Atlanta owned by Andrew Eckerson. We've been authorized to take him back there."

"This is my slave, I don't know any Andrew Eckerson, but this is my slave and I have had him since I was a boy," Elliot said trying to sound convincing.

"You better not be lying to us, otherwise it could be very unpleasant," the man said aiming a gun at him.

"Why would I lie to people I do not even know?" Elliot asked with a shrug. The man eyeballed Fin who was trying not to look scared out of his mind.

"You know what we do to lying slaves don't you boy?" the man sneered taking a hanging noose from one of the men. At the sight of the noose, Elliot's eyes got wide and he forced himself not to remember Kathy.

"He um, he does not know how to talk," Elliot said keeping his eyes on the noose. "He's mute."

The man looked unconvinced before he glared at the two of them and turned back to the group of slave catchers. "He's not the one we're hunting, come on, he couldn't have gotten far."

The group quickly started running past them and when they were gone, they both took large deep breaths.

"Thank you," Fin said shaking Elliot's hand again.

"You do not owe me thanks, no man should be owned by another, and soon, we will all be free," Elliot said strongly, looking around to make sure no one heard him besides Fin.

"I hope and pray to God every space night that you're right," Fin said. "Please, if there is anything I can do to help you, please let me know."

Elliot thought for a few moments.

"Do you know of an inn where my family and I can stay for the night?" Elliot asked. Fin shook his head.

"No, however I do I know a very friendly man who houses runaway slaves, maybe he would house you and yours." Elliot nodded then motioned to the wagon.

"Would you please show me where this man is?" Fin nodded then they both walked to the wagon.

"What happened father?!" Dickie asked excitedly when Elliot reappeared with Fin.

"This man is going to show us where we can get food and sleep for the night."

"But father," Kathleen said a little quietly, "he's a slave."

"An escaped one at that," Elliot said with a simple shrug as he climbed up on the wagon.

"Can't we just find some ourselves? I mean we don't know what he's capable of doing," Elizabeth said a little fearfully.

"What have your mother and I taught you all these years?" Elliot asked them a little angrily.

"That there's no difference between us and them, but father I-"

"No, there is no debating here. He's a man who is unrightfully owned by another, the same as us being owned by the king. Are we to think him more capable of violence than you and me simply because you have paler skin then him? Your mother would not have wanted that from any of her children and neither do I!"

All four of them looked down a little embarrassed. Elliot turned back to Fin. "These are my three daughters Kathleen, Maureen, Elizabeth, and this is my son Dickie, and I apologize for their rudeness and insensitivity."

"Nice to meet you all," Fin said giving them a kind smile and getting into the wagon. No one talked for a while until Fin pointed to a large house with all the lights burning.

"Up ahead, his name is Jonathan Munch

"Tis almost daylight, why are all the lamps still burning?" Elliot questioned pulling up to the house.

"Johnathan is a well known abolitionist in the south, and all the runaway slaves know we can go to him for food, drink, and rest before we continue our journey to the North. His lights are always burning." Elliot nodded then pulled up at the door and then went around and opened the door for his children.

"Father, is this the inn?" Dickie asked getting some of the bags from the back of the carriage.

"No, this is a man who we will stay with until we can find a decent home," Elliot said taking some of the bags and carrying them.

"You mean we aren't going back to New York?" Maureen asked surprised.

"No," Elliot said walking up to the door.

"But, Father, what about Jacob?"

"What about him?"

"He was going to ask you if he could call on me!" she cried out a little angrily.

"Maureen there will be a lot of men who can ask to call on you here, and most of them will probably get denied. So just hold your tongue," Elliot said putting the bags down and knocking on the door. He waited for a response and didn't get one. He knocked again and waited, but there was still no answer.

"Maybe he's not home?" Dickie suggested putting down some of the bags next to the one's Elliot did.

"You must knock five times slowly, otherwise he won't answer. Too many slave catchers out to get him," Fin told him. Elliot did what he was told and almost instantly a man holding a candle answered the door. He had gray hair that was tied into a neat ponytail and what looked like spectacles except they were much darker.

"You know Fin," the man said looking past Elliot and towards Fin, "the idea of escaping slavery is to not come back to the place where you were a slave. Do you have any idea the effort it took to forge those manumission documents?"

"I know and I'm sorry, however, I found these travelers in the wood. They are in need of shelter and food for the night." Johnathan looked at Elliot and then looked over his glasses at him.

"Are you a slave catcher?"

"No, my family and I just came from New York, we need a place to stay for the night." Elliot said staring at his strange glasses. Johnathan noticed and just pushed them up.

"Glasses that are darkened, keeps the sun out of my eyes. One day these are going to be a huge success."

"Yes Johnathan I'm sure of it," Fin said coming in his house. "Now please let us in, I could have sworn I heard the sounds of the dogs coming." John nodded then moved out of the way so they could all come in. Elliot and Dickie picked up the bags followed him in.

"My name's Johnathon Munch, everyone calls me Munch. What are your names?" Munch asked leading the darkened way with the candle.

"I'm Elliot Stabler, these are my children Maureen, Kathleen, Elizabeth, and my son Dickie."

"Pleasure," Munch said sitting down at hte table.

Just then someone came down the stairs

"Hello?" a female voice asked sounding slightly nervous. Elliot turned and his eyes widened as he saw a woman standing at the foot of the stairs, a slightly worried look on her face holding a single candle. She was about thirty nine, had dark, almost black hair that came a little way past her shoulders, chocolate brown eyes, and a face so beautiful Elliot couldn't tear his eyes off of her. She was wearing an ankle length white dress that showed a little cleavage, and a pair of black boots that were clearly worn.

"Fin what are you doing back?" the women asked confused.

"I found these travelers in the woods. They needed a place to stay for the night." The women looked at them and walked up to them.

"Are you sure we can trust them?" she asked giving them an uneasy look.

"He helped me escape from the slave holders. I am willing to bet my freedom we can trust them." Olivia nodded then turned to Elliot.

"I thank you for helping him," she said with a warm smile.

"I, um, it's no problem at all," Elliot said a little nervously.

"This is Olivia Benson, she helps me get the slaves to freedom, she also helps forge the correct manumission documents" Munch called from the other room.

"I'm Elliot Stabler, this is Maureen, Kathleen, Elizabeth, and"

"I'm his son Dickie, pleased to meet you Miss Benson," Dickie said with a large smile, quickly stepping in front of Elliot and extending his hand.

"Pleased to meet you," Olivia said with a smile shaking his hand.

"Anyway," Elliot said with a small scolding sound in his voice pushing Dickie back. "Is it Miss Benson, or are you spoken for?"

Olivia nodded, "Yes, however he's rarely at home, and sadly most of the time I'm alone, but helping the run away slaves keep me pretty busy."

"Well surely a woman as beautiful as you doesn't need to be held down to one man," Dickie said with an innocent shrug.

"Well yes, however I feel in my heart that my fiancé and I are truly in love.." Dickie nodded then before he could open his mouth again, Elliot interrupted him

"Dickie, another word escapes your mouth and you will be punished. Do you understand?" Elliot scolded him.

"Yes sir" Dickie mumbled giving him a small glare, but listened to him and stepped back.

"We thank you for your hospitality, the both of you. And we're very tired from the trip, is there any where we can sleep?" Munch nodded then pointed upstairs.

"Yes, the girls can sleep in the first room on the left. Dickie can sleep in the second on the left, and you can sleep in the fifth on the left."

"Wow, you two must be very wealthy to afford such a large house."

Olivia shrugged. "We get donations and many generous people send money to us so that we can actually afford it. I mean it may not seem like it, but running a slave escape business isn't exactly cheap. And we need all the room for the slaves."

"Who are supposed to traveling to the North right now," Munch said giving Fin a small glare.

"I'll go tomorrow, but what was I supposed to do? Let these people just continue driving and, more than likely, getting lost."

Munch just rolled his eyes. "Whatever, however tomorrow night, you will be gone. Do you understand?"

Fin nodded yes then turned to Elliot. "It's a pleasure to have met you Mr. Stabler, and I'm off to bed."

"Goodnight, Fin." Fin gave him a small smile before he went up the stairs.

"Dickie I want you to take the bags up to the rooms, girls go get ready for bed. We're out of here bright and early tomorrow."

"Yes, Father," Dickie said grabbing all the bags and stumbling up the steps, the girls following.

"So," Elliot said turning to Olivia. "I probably won't see you tomorrow before I leave, so again thank you so much for your hospitality and for allowing my family and me to stay in your house."

"It's no trouble at all, and please, call me Olivia."

Elliot gave her a soft smile. "Well then, good night, Olivia"

"Good night, Mr. Stabler."

"Call me Elliot"

"Good night Elliot." They both grinned at one another before Elliot walked up the steps, Olivia staring after him.

"I know that look," Munch said with a small, suspicious grin.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh nothing, besides the fact that your giving him the same look you give your fiancé."

Olivia shook her head, "You're wrong, and beside even if I do have feelings for this man, he has four children and has not spoken yet of a wife, he's hiding something from us."

Munch shrugged. "Yes, but would you rather have a man who hides things from you, than one you hardly see at all?"

Olivia looked down a little sad. "He's a soldier, Munch, he's busy. You know that."

"Yeah," Munch told her a little angrily, "a disgraceful red coat. How can you even consider loving him when you only see him a few months out of the year, and the fact that when he's around you, he hardly shows any feelings towards you. Plus not to mention he-"

"Munch, please!" Olivia cried out a little angrily "Don't start on him again. Look he's a good man, regardless of whether or not he's a soldier of the king."

"Oh okay," he said sarcastically. Olivia glared at him then got up and went to the stairs.

"I'm going to bed," she said shortly walking up them.

Olivia retreated to her bedroom and took off her clothes before lying down and blowing out her candle. She lay there for a few moments, thinking about what Munch had said.

"He's wrong, he loves me," Olivia told herself forcefully. She rolled over and closed her eyes, thinking about her fiancé.

"Mrs. Thomas Page," she thought to herself happily. "It has a wonderful ring to it"

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